Savior
by that one username
Summary: Eren Jaeger lives in his own personal hell. With his mother long gone, a father who beats him, and a bully at school, his suffering knows no limits. But when he starts to hang out with his classmate Levi Ackerman, his pain starts to gradually subside, distracting him from the personal hell he's grown so accustomed to. Ereri.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, thanks for checking my story out! This is my first time writing a story like this but I'm really excited about it. I'm having fun writing it and I hope you'll enjoy reading it just as much as I enjoy writing it.**

 **Hopefully you won't want to kill me by the time this story is finished though (I'll admit, I feel sorry for Eren .)**

 **This was also previously posted on my wattpad account ( dreamsofclearskies99), so if it looks familiar that may be why.**

 **I apologize for any grammatical errors. I really tried to fix everything!**

 **Anyway, please enjoy~**

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Eren's POV

Everyday was always the same. It had the same routines, had the same outcomes. The alarm clock would go off at 6 am, waking me up to face the living hell known as my life. I would get up and slowly get dressed, trying in vain to ignore the lingering pain that never seemed to go away. After getting dressed and brushing my teeth, I would try, _try,_ to leave the house as quietly as I could, so as not to wake up my dad. Sometimes I was successful, sometimes I wasn't.

Today was another mission failed. As I closed the gap between myself and the front door, I stepped on a beer can, causing the metal to shrink in on itself, filling the room with a metallic crinkling sound. I whipped my head around, anxiously waiting to see if Dad had woken up. Luckily he still sat in the chair snoring, his head dipped down with a beer can still clutched in his hand.

"Thank God," I mumbled quietly, although the concept of God had become something of a mystery to me. It didn't seem fair that a loving god could possibly let me suffer day in and day out, yet at the same time I had been taught Christian beliefs all my life, so I guess I said it more out of habit than as a showcase of personal faith. My religion, among many other things, was ambiguous.

Just as I set my foot outside, I felt a strong, calloused hand close tightly around my wrist. I slowly turned, my eyes widening in fear, to come face to face with my father. _Dammit,_ I thought, _it would have been nice not to start the day off with another beating._

"What the hell have I told you about waking me up in the morning?" He questioned. His breath reeked of all the beer he had drunk the night before. I wrinkled my nose in disgust and turned away. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He used his free hand to clamp it around my jaw and turned my head so that I once again had to look into that ugly face of his. The grip around my wrist tightened. It was obvious that he expected some kind of answer.

"I didn't know the can was there, so I stepped on it by accident," I stated plainly, not bothering to apologize. This earned me a slap across the face and a swift kick in the gut. I sucked in a pained breath and sunk down to my knees, clutching at my stomach.

My stomach had been bruised badly a couple of nights ago when I couldn't clean the dishes fast enough. This, combined with my new wounds, was enough to make black spots bloom across my vision.

Dad walked over and yanked me up by the hair. He was so close that our noses were nearly touching. "This had better be the last time you wake me up, boy. Next time I won't go so easy." After finishing his statement, he abruptly let go of me and walked to his bedroom. I hit the floor with a hard thud, biting my tongue in the process. I tasted blood. _Great, something else to add to my list of injuries,_ I thought sarcastically.

I begrudgingly picked myself up, with much effort, and grabbed my things. I couldn't even imagine what I looked like. I tried to avoid looking at myself in mirrors as much as possible. The fact that I was letting my dad abuse me was humiliating enough, but to see the extent of his damage was just too much.

Hopefully things wouldn't be so bad at school, but then again, that all depended on one thing: would I see him today or not? Deciding to find out the answer, I opened the door quietly and broke out into a run in the brisk morning air. The stinging pain of the cold as it rushed by my face was nothing compared to the aching pain I felt everyday.

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 **Once again thanks for reading! Please don't hesitate to leave a comment- I love feedback!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, thanks for checking out my story!**

 **Two updates in a day is surprising for me, so don't get used to it! I may not update everyday but I will try to update as soon as I can. I think I will have updates often since I like this story so much!~**

 **I apologize for any grammatical errors. I'm not perfect!**

 **Enjoy!**

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Eren's POV

I kept running and running, even though my stomach was still hurting and my feet were crying out with every step. I didn't underestimate my dad. One time, after I had ran out of the house after he punched me, he tracked me down and gave me a beating I'll never forget. I never want to relive _that_ experience.

When I was five blocks away from my house, I gradually slowed down and then came to a stop. I bent over, my hands resting on my knees as I panted greedily for breath.

"Eren! What's wrong?" I heard a familiar voice call behind me. "Eren, are you okay?"

I turned around and saw my friends Mikasa and Armin. Mikasa was the one who had spoken. She ran over to me with Armin struggling to keep up. "Eren, what happened to you?" She put a hand on my back.

"It's nothing, guys. I just felt like running today, that's all." I was still doubled over. I knew that if I stood up to face her now she would know I was lying.

"That's bullshit, Eren. Who just decides to go for a run in this freezing weather?"

"I do, so stop worrying." Honestly, sometimes she acted like she was my mother. Actually, she could be, considering my mother's been dead for years.

My mother died when I was ten, which makes it five years since her death. Apparently she had cancer for a couple of years but managed to hide it for quite some time. Then one day she just died because her body was too weak to continue fighting it. You can imagine our surprise when we found out years later that she had been terminally ill. That was when my life started to go downhill.

"What happened to Eren?" Armin had finally caught up and he was now out of breath as well. His normally pale face was flushed from the cold and from running.

"I don't know, he won't tell me." I could tell Mikasa was starting to get annoyed, but I didn't feel like talking about it.

"I said nothing's wrong, okay? Just drop it!" I yelled, standing up. I stood up a little too fast though and became dizzy. Mikasa grabbed my arm before I fell face-first onto the sidewalk.

"Fuck, Eren," she said, examining me with worry evident in her eyes, "what happened?" She was looking down at my shirt. I followed her gaze and saw that blood had dripped from my mouth and had stained my shirt.

I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth and found that dried blood had come off. I quickly tried wiping more of it away as best I could. She stared at me, her eyes pleading. "Look, I slipped after I got out of the shower and fell. Nothing else."

She grunted and pouted. "Okay. But be more careful next time." Mikasa turned and started walking in the direction of the school. "Come on or we'll be late."

I sighed with relief as we walked the rest of the way in silence. They didn't need to know what happened. I didn't need to burden them with anything. They had put up with me for so long, after all.

We had all been best friends since elementary school. Mikasa's parents had been friends with my parents for as long as I could remember. I don't know how they knew each other, but they got along great. Every weekend they would come over to our house and Mikasa and I would play together. Sometimes we would hang out after school, sometimes opting to swing on the swings in my backyard, other times deciding to play house. For some reason Mikasa always insisted that she was my wife.

Then we met Armin. In third grade one year while we were at recess, we saw Armin cornered by a couple of fifth graders. He was crouched down, his hands hovering over his face in protection. The older kids were yelling at him for whatever reason. The biggest one punched him a couple of times while the others kicked dirt in his face. I remember how fast I sprinted into action, how I yelled at them at the top of my lungs. I couldn't stand to ever see someone be hurt, no matter how weak they were.

After helping him, we started to play together and the rest as they say was history. We've all been friends ever since. It almost seems ironic, in a way. I used to be so strong and brave that I was willing to stand up and protect someone else, yet now I could barely even protect myself. The most painful part is not enduring the suffering itself, but watching yourself allow it, watching how weak you've become. _I bet Armin would have even been strong enough to stand up to dad,_ I thought shamefully.

I was thankful when we finally stepped into the school. The warmth of the inside was a nice welcome.

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Mikasa had went on ahead of me and Armin, she said she had something to do. When it was just me and Armin walking to class, I felt him tap my shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Are you really okay, Eren?" I turned to my side and saw that his brows were furrowed in concern.

I sighed. Not this again. "Yes, I'm fine. Will you two stop worrying over me?"

"It wasn't your dad again, was it?" My eyes narrowed. Mikasa was far more gullible than Armin. You could barely fool Armin.

"Okay, so what if it was? There's nothing I can about it, now is there?" I stopped by my locker to get my books for Biology. I slammed the door shut. "So stop asking me about it."

"Fine. Just, stay safe, Eren. Please." Armin gave me one last pleading look before walking off in the direction of his class.

Great. Now Armin knew what was up, which meant that he would more than likely tell Mikasa what happened. Then she would be mad at me for lying. Things just kept getting worse.

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 **I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't very eventful (I know it wasn't) but I had to introduce more people and get things set up. I promise that the next chapter will have plenty of action to make up for this chapter!**

 **Thanks again for reading, and please let me know what you think! I love to read feedback.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, thanks for sticking with me! It's been a while since I last updated. Life has been hectic lately. It turns out that the month of December is actually very busy, considering that all schoolwork had to be turned in before the break and I was still behind on Christmas shopping. Glad that break is here so I can finally just chill. And maybe I'll update sooner since I'll have time to actually write something!**

 **Also, remember how I said this chapter would have more action? Well, I lied. I'm sorry! The next chapter will have more action for sure, so don't miss it!**

 **I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Eren's POV

I was actually early for once when I walked into Biology, yet class still managed to be loud. Kids were shouting across the classroom and throwing paper balls back and forth. But when I stepped in, of course, all noise quieted and all eyes turned to stare at me. I heard someone snicker. It was a kid named Connie. He's like the class clown and is always trying to make people laugh, yet it hardly ever works.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Jaeger," I heard Jean say behind me. I grit my teeth and balled up my fists as I felt his hand clamp down roughly onto my shoulder.

"What the hell do you want?" I growled quietly in between my gritted teeth.

"Oh nothing much, I was just wondering what kind of stupid stunt you were going to pull today, that's all." He patted my back before going to his seat.

Everyone looked at him questioningly, and I too wondered what he was up to. Normally he does something humiliating that leaves me traumatized for the rest of the day. This could either be a fortunate turn of events or only the start of something much worse. More than likely it was the latter option. Regardless, I just shrugged it off and tried to walk to my seat as quickly as possible.

On my way there, people started to laugh quietly until it eventually erupted into a loud fit of laughter. Connie stuck out his foot and I nearly tripped, causing the laughter to only increase in volume, as if that were even possible.

My face felt like it was on fire by the time I sat down. I sunk down in my chair and opened my Biology book, ducking down behind it. I just wanted to disappear. But of course that couldn't happen- my luck is never that good- and just then our teacher, Ms. Zoe, happened to walk in just at that moment.

"Alright, alright, settle down class!" She clapped her hands, gradually grabbing the class's attention. "That's better, I know you're gonna hate hearing this, but we have to take more notes today." The whole class let out one unanimous groan. "I know, I know! I don't like it either, but tomorrow we get to start dissections." She smirked and her glasses almost seemed to shine dangerously. Everyone loves Ms. Zoe because she's really passionate about science, but sometimes she takes her passions too far and ends up scaring people.

As she talked endlessly about the anatomy of what we were supposed to be dissecting, I let my mind wander aimlessly with thoughts. I thought about how much longer I had to stay at school today, and how bad things were already going. I thought about my dad. He was probably still in a bad mood and more than likely would be when I got home. But I tried not to think about him so much; I didn't need to make myself suffer more.

I turned to look out the window but caught myself looking at who was sitting beside me. It was Levi Ackerman. He's one of the most popular guys at my school, yet he's not at the same time. All of the girls practically drool over him, and all of the guys want to be him. Despite this, he doesn't really have any friends. Everyone wants to talk to him but are too intimidated by him to say anything to him. I guess you could say that I'm one of the people that wants to talk to him.

He seems...different from everyone else. Like the kind of person that's really down to Earth but still cares about you. Not to mention he's pretty good looking- wait what am I saying?

That's when I noticed he was staring at me. His silvery gaze felt like it was piercing straight through me. I felt myself blush and had to look away.

When the bell rang, I tried to gather all my things together quickly, but I stopped when I felt someone rip something off my shirt. I turned around abruptly and saw that it was Levi.

"There was a sign on your shirt, dumbass," he said coldly, tossing it on my desk. It said 'KICK ME' in dark, red letters.

"O-oh, um thank you…?" I said, a little unsure. I wanted to thank him, but he was already gone. He had left so quickly that I almost wondered if I had imagined that he was ever there at all.

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 **How was this chapter? Do you like where the story is headed so far? Please let me know! I like to hear my readers' thoughts on things.**

 **Also, hopefully I can make future chapters longer than this. I hate small chapters!**

 **Thanks again for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, I'm back with another update! I will try to update sooner since you guys apparently seem to really like this story. Thanks so much for your continued support!**

 **This chapter contains much more violence than there has previously been (this is finally the chapter that contains more action! :D)**

 **And we finally have a longer chapter! I think this chapter might actually be the longest chapter so far.**

 **I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors I may have made. I'm not perfect!**

 **And as always, I hope you enjoy!**

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Eren's POV

As I walked to the boy's locker room I kept thinking back to what happened in Biology. Was it possible that I imagined it all? I mean, why would Levi talk to me in the first place, much less make an attempt to help me?

I'm just a freak.

I opened the heavy door slowly and stepped inside. The smell of Axe body spray and sweat lingered in the air, making me cough. I absolutely hated this part of my day almost as much as I hated going home after school.

Gym class is like another version of hell. Constantly running, pushing my already weak body further and further until it feels like I'm going to collapse, being judged and made a mockery of- it all sucks. But changing is the worst part of it all. Because that's when I have to try and hide things more than ever.

Over the years I've accrued more scars, bruises, and scratches than most people will have in a lifetime. I've lost count of how many I have and of how I got them in the first place. Whether they were caused by my dad's fist, a broken beer bottle, or from a cigarette burn, it doesn't matter much. They're all equally ugly and are a constant reminder of my screwed up life.

The toughest part has always been concealing them from the public eye. I don't need another reason for people to laugh at me, and who knows how it would end up if people found out the truth.

Normally I wear a hoodie over top of my shirt, but I can't exactly do that in gym. So instead I opt to wear a long sleeved t-shirt and running pants while everyone else is in short sleeves and shorts. Sure, it's alienating, but it could be worse.

It's always a struggle when getting changed before and after gym. The locker rooms are always packed. There are always people everywhere I turn, always a scrutinizing eye to see the slightest hint of a scar on my back. I aim for changing in bathroom stalls when given the chance, but that's risky for other reasons. Sometimes I'm late for gym or late for my other classes when waiting to change. Nothing I do ever turns out right.

Today I was hoping things would be different. I was already having a pretty crappy day, so there wasn't much more that could possibly happen to make it worse, right? Surely there had to be a limit on how awful a person's day could be.

When I rounded the corner on my way to the stalls, I saw that apparently my theory was correct. Both stalls were open, as if any existing god had finally answered my prayers and were showing the tiniest mercy possible.

I saw Jean whispering something to Connie and Reiner, but as soon as I approached them the whispering cut off abruptly and all eyes turned to stare at me. Connie and Reiner got up in unison and walked over to both of the bathroom stalls as if they were guarding them. They both stood with their arms crossed, sending menacing glares towards me.

I walked up to the first stall which was blocked Reiner. I tried to squeeze past him but he pushed me back, causing me to topple onto the floor.

"Hey, what the hell man?" I cried out in outrage. Guess my theory was incorrect after all. It seemed too good to be true anyway.

"As of today you're not allowed to change in the stalls," Jean declared proudly as he smirked down at me. I wanted to knock him off of his high horse, but I know I would never do that. Someone needs to though, he thinks he's the king of the school.

"Says who?"

"Says me, and everyone else who thinks it's fucking ridiculous. How about you grow up, Jaeger?"

I jumped up so that I was standing face to face with him. "How about you stop thinking you're fucking royalty? Your act is pretty ridiculous if you ask me. I don't just have to submit to your will, and neither does anyone else."

Jean's face turned red and he growled. I must have gotten under his skin for once. He leaned forward to grab a fistful of my shirt, pulling me up with it. "As if you have the right to tell me that. You're nothing more than a pathetic weirdo." He brought back his arm as if to punch me, and I instinctively turned my head, preparing myself for the blow.

But instead of feeling a punch to my jawline I heard the door to the locker room open. I cracked open an eyelid to see who it was. It was Coach Pixis.

"Alright boys, stop playing around! You should have had enough time to change by now. It's time to head on out." He blew his whistle and everyone filed out except for me and Jean. "Jaeger, how come you haven't changed yet, and why are you holding him up like that Kirchstein?"

"O-oh, I was just helping him up. He fell," Jean lied straight through his teeth. As if he would ever help me.

Coach Pixis sighed and rubbed at his temples. "Whatever, it doesn't really matter anyhow. Just come on."

Jean nodded and ran outside to join the others.

"Jaeger, I expect you to be dressed in two minutes, no exceptions. You understand me?"

"Yes sir," I mumbled quietly, staring at the cracks in the floor. Now the coach was mad at me. Knowing him he would probably make me run twenty laps for pissing him off.

He left after that and it was silent in the locker room. It was an odd feeling. Normally there were shouts echoing across the room or laughter reverberating off the walls. But now it was a still and utter silence that seemed to weigh down on my shoulders.

As I got up to get changed, I heard the slightest shuffling of clothes. It seemed to be coming around the corner at my right. I slowly crept towards the sound and peered around the corner. Whoever it was had their back turned to me. I kept walking towards the person, wondering if they would ever notice I was even there.

When I was standing directly behind them I could see that their earbuds were in, so they probably had no clue that I was peering over their shoulder, and they probably had no idea that Coach Pixis had called for us minutes ago.

I reached out a trembling finger and tapped their shoulder twice. They whipped their head around so fast that I jumped back in surprise and nearly fell over.

It was Levi, and he was pissed.

"What? What do you want?" He asked angrily. I must have surprised him, too. I thought it was impossible to frighten him.

I could feel my face heating up. "I-I um, I just wondered who else was in here, that's all," I stammered. I couldn't think of anything better to say. "I-I didn't even know you were in this class, to be honest." It was true. I had never seen him in here until now.

"Tch. I've always been stuck in this hellhole, I just don't feel like running around looking like an idiot like the rest of you do." He leaned his back against the wall and brought his knees up to his chest.

"Oh. Well I guess that makes sense."

"Yeah, no joke." He picked up his phone and put his earbuds back in, completely ignoring me once more. I didn't know what to do then. I knew I needed to leave soon or Coach Pixis would kill me, but at the same time I wanted to stay here and somehow keep talking to him. "Are you just going to stand there and stare at me?" His voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He was staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

"No, sorry if I made you uncomfortable." I bit my lip and dashed into one of the stalls to get changed. I put on my gym clothes while my thoughts raged on within me. Did he think I was some freak now like everyone else?

"Hey kid! Wait!" I heard him yelling at me, but I stayed silent. I opened the door as quietly as I could and slipped outside. I knew more trouble was coming. Coach Pixis glared at me as soon as I stepped out of the locker room.

There was no god showing me mercy; if anything, the god was putting me through hell for their own enjoyment. But then again, isn't that what everyone always does?

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I thought I was on the verge of death by the time I returned to the locker room. Coach Pixis was adamant on making sure I ran the remainder of the class period, which was an excruciating hour that I'll never forget. My chest felt like it was constricting inward on itself every time I took a breath and my legs felt stiff.

I staggered towards the nearest bathroom stall but was cut off by Jean. "Not so fast, Jaeger."

"Please Jean, just move."

"And why should I?"

"Because you don't want me to die right here in front of you."

He erupted into a mad fit of laughter. "But I've been waiting for that for years! Why would I want to miss a front row view?"

I was too exhausted to keep arguing with him, so I pushed past him and opened the stall door.

"Hold it!" He gripped the back of my shirt and pulled me back. "Don't just think you can do whatever the hell you want!"

My anger was starting to build up within me and I could feel it slowly start to rise to the surface, increasing my strength and energy. "And why the hell can't I? You're not my dad, you can't tell me what to do!" I kicked at his chest, landing a good solid blow to the ribcage. He cursed under his breath and let me go, causing me to hit my head on the cement floor.

I was still dazed when I felt him punch me in the jaw. And then the nose. I could smell blood. It was disgusting. I've always hated the smell, but you would think I'd be used to it by now. I guess some things never change.

My fist made contact with Jean's nose and I could hear a sickening crack, and then the sound of him groaning in pain. I took this small moment of vulnerability to yank a fistful of his hair just before kicking him in the chest once more.

I could hear multiple footsteps rushing at once, probably to watch the fight. People were yelling; it sounded like Connie and Reiner. I felt hands pulling me away from Jean. It was Connie. He had an iron-like grip on my shoulders. I never knew he was that strong. I tried to squirm my way out of his grasp but it was no use. He wasn't letting me go anytime soon.

It was then that I understood why. Reiner was now standing in front of me, and he was preparing to use me as his own personal punching bag. But why? What had I ever done to him- to anyone?

His fist collided with my jaw, causing a new waterfall of blood to come cascading down my face. "Stop, let me go!" I shrieked, trying desperately to break free. Another punch landed right underneath my right eye. That would definitely leave a mark.

"Shut up, you big baby!" I heard Connie yell.

I reached up to try and pry his fingers from my shoulders but once he saw this he grabbed both of my arms and twisted them behind my back. I fell on my knees. I knew I couldn't take much more.

Just then I heard another voice ring out above the others. It seemed vastly familiar, but my brain was too tired to recognize it.

"Oi! He said let him go, you fucking brat."

I heard the sound of skin making contact with bone behind me. I caught a glimpse of raven colored hair and knew instantly who it had to be. It had to be Levi. There was no other explanation. There was no other guy I knew who would take them on.

My vision started to falter; black spots were beginning to bloom randomly. I missed most of what happened after that, but I can very faintly remember the sound of screaming and then the sound of people running. After that it grew silent until I heard someone walk up to me and then kneel beside me.

I heard a sigh. "Jesus fuck, what am I going to do with you Jaeger?"

I felt strong arms wrap around me and I was then lifted up. That's as far as my memory stretches, because my tired body finally decided to give in to the darkness calling my name.

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 **Once again, thank you very much for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter! I hope you all had an awesome Christmas. I'll be honest, so far the best thing about Christmas break has been the break itself! Some time off from school is just what I needed.**

 **Things are starting to get really interesting with this story, and I really am having fun writing it so far.**

 **I would like to give a big thank you to everyone who is continuing to support this story!**

 **As always, I apologize for any grammatical errors I may have made while writing this chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Eren's POV

When I came to, I could feel a strong throbbing sensation in the back of my head, like a drum constantly beating. The rest of my body felt like lead, and it was hard to force my aching muscles to move. I slowly sat up, feeling my body silently protesting.

That's when I realized that I was no longer at school. I remembered getting in a fight with Jean in the locker room, so that's where I probably blacked out. But why wasn't I at school? And more importantly, where the hell was I?

I had been laying on a very firm bed with black sheets. The bed itself was so stiff that it felt like there was no cushion to it at all. Who could ever stand to sleep on it?

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and slowly stood up. My legs were sore from all of the running Coach Pixis had made me do earlier. I would probably be sore for the next couple of days, thanks to gym.

All of this started with that stupid class. If I hadn't gone to that class and just skipped like I had wanted to, I wouldn't have ended up with a killer headache and throbbing jaw, and I wouldn't have woken up in some stranger's bed.

Surely it had to have been someone from school who took me home. But why? Who would be willing enough to take me home with them? I tried to ignore the pain and think back to the fight. I remembered blacking out, that much was obvious, but what exactly happened before that? Who else was there?

I had been attacked by Jean, and then Connie and Reiner came to his defense once I started to fight back. But that wasn't everyone. I could distinctly remember seeing a fourth person, and they were involved somehow. _Did they...fight for me?_ I wondered. I closed my eyes and held my head in my hands, trying to find recollection somewhere in my memories.

" _Oi! He said let him go, you fucking brat."_

My eyes snapped opened. What was that voice just then? I remembered that voice from before, someone had shouted that at Connie. It must have been the voice of the fourth person! Their voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it.

My eyes scanned across the room for any hints as to who it could be. The walls were painted a dark grey, and there were thick, black curtains hanging at the window overlooking the front yard. Beside the window was a large desk, neatly organized in a way that you could easily access everything if need be. There were a few books, some CDS, and a pair of headphones. Nothing particularly striking.

I inched towards the door and opened it cautiously. It was completely silent. Were they still here? Everything was so still that it was unnerving. I tiptoed down the hallway, afraid to make any noise in such a silent house.

As I approached the corner, I slowly poked my head out to peer ahead. The living room. I tiptoed to the living room as if one little noise would ruin everything. I could see someone lying on the couch, reading. As I tiptoed closer, I recognized them.

"L-Levi?"

"I was wondering when you would wake up."

It had been him? He was the one after all?

"Y-you were at the fight?"

"Duh, of course I was. How else would you have gotten to my house?"

 _And how else would I have gotten into his bed?_ I thought, mentally slapping myself afterwards. Why was I thinking about... _that,_ of all things?

"W-well, why did you do it?" I stammered, feeling my face turn red. Great, now I was flustered. "I mean, why would a guy like you help someone like me, the laughing stock of the entire school?"

That was the answer I still wanted to know. Why _had_ he helped me? Most people would have turned their backs and walked away, as if they hadn't seen a thing, or they would point and laugh along with their friends.

But then again, Levi was different, had always been different. Even though I had never spoken a word to him until today, that much had always been clear. It was like a gut feeling, almost. I could just sense it.

"You know, I've been wondering that myself. To tell you the truth, I don't know." He...didn't know?

"Surely you must have had some sort of reason, people don't do stuff like that just out of the kindness of their hearts; there is always a motive hiding behind the action. People aren't naturally generous. They always want something in return." I balled my hands into fists at my side, feeling my nails digging into my skin. I had learned this lesson numerous times. Nothing is ever given freely, regardless of how nice a person comes across as on the surface. "So what do you want from me?"

I heard his book slam shut and he turned around to give me a look that I couldn't exactly read. "I don't want anything from you," he stated coldly. "I can assure you that if I wanted something, I would get it without wasting so much time and effort."

Levi wasn't making sense. He helped me just for the sake of it? That just wasn't possible. I've learned that in this world, everyone is only trying to look out for themselves, and will do anything to make sure that they're protected and that they gain what they want in the end. And the only way to establish that is by using others.

He was contradicting the ideas I had been taught at an early age.

"You're...not making any sense," I admitted aloud, shaking my head. Nothing had made sense all day, to be honest.

Levi sighed. "Listen, kid. Nothing in this world makes sense if you think about it hard enough. Just consider yourself lucky, alright? I did you a favor free of charge. End of story." He stood up and walked into the kitchen.

I stood there thinking. Just who was Levi, anyway? He had transferred to our school last year and never told anyone where he was previously from. He lived in his own house, drove his own car, never spoke to anyone unless it was necessary; he was like a mystery.

"Are you just gonna stand there or what?" He was studying me with a bored expression.

"I- no, I guess not." I sighed heavily before deciding to join him in the kitchen.

It was a small kitchen, just big enough for a few appliances and a tiny table with a couple of chairs. I walked over to one of the chairs and sat down, resting my head on its cool surface. Even though I had been unconscious for who knows how long, I was still tired.

"Oi! Get off my table!"

I jumped and scooted away from the table, nearly having a heart attack in the process.

"I can't have you dirtying up my table," Levi said as he placed a coffee cup down in front of me. He had another cup for himself and sat down across from me.

"Thanks, but I'm good," I mumbled, pushing the warm cup away from me. It smelled amazing, and I honestly wouldn't have minded having a warm drink, but I couldn't accept it. After all, he had already done so much for me. "I couldn't, I mean, you've been kind enough as it is."

"Just drink it. It's just coffee. It's not like I gave you a million dollars," he said, rolling his eyes as he took a sip from his steaming mug.

"Okay." I took a sip and sighed contentedly. It tasted as good as it smelled, and considering I hadn't had anything to eat or drink for the day, I wanted more. I downed the whole cup in a matter of seconds.

"That doesn't mean you have to drink the whole thing without even tasting it," he muttered, shaking his head. For a moment I thought I saw the faintest hint of a smile spark across his features, but it was gone almost as soon as I had seen it. Maybe I imagined it.

"So um, Levi? Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Why did you...take me here? I don't mean to sound rude or anything but, wouldn't the nurse's office have sufficed?" This had been bothering me the whole time I had been here. Why his house, of all places?

"Because I always skip my fourth period class and go home. And I couldn't leave you lying there in the gym, that would possibly set you up as a target for the next class, nor could I go to the nurse's office. If I had taken you to the nurse's office, I wouldn't have had enough time to slip out of the school before the bell rang for class, so taking you here seemed to be the best solution." He explained this to me so nonchalantly, as if inviting random classmates to his house was something he did everyday. "Is it a problem?"

I shook my head frantically. "No, no, it's not that at all! I was just wondering."

I glanced over at the clock hanging by the refrigerator and gasped. It was already past five. I was supposed to be home at three. Dad was going to kill me!

"Levi, I'm sorry, I have to go!" I cried out, running back to his room so I could grab my things.

He looked surprised. "Why all of a sudden? Brat! Are you listening to me?"

"I lost track of time, I was supposed to be home hours ago. I-I've gotta go!" I ran to the door but paused when I heard his voice.

"Are you sure you don't need a ride home?" He looked...concerned. That was an expression I've never seen on him.

"No, I'll walk home. Things...will be better this way," I murmured, staring at the floor. I couldn't risk my dad seeing him, that would cause many more problems. "Thanks again for everything Levi!"

And with that I ran out, completely unaware of the fact that I was being watched.

* * *

 **I left you guys with a little bit of a cliffhanger! Who do you think is the mysterious person watching Eren?**

 **Hope you all have a great new year!**

 **Thanks again for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, I'm finally back with a very very short chapter! Sorry about that! I waited too long to actually write this chapter and I lost some good ideas unfortunately . but I may post another chapter sometime soon to make up for this short chapter.**

 **Once again thanks for encouraging me to keep writing this story!**

 **I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Eren's POV

On the way to my house, I was constantly paranoid that someone was following me. It sounded like there was another pair of footsteps crunching the fallen leaves but every time I turned around, it was completely deserted.

Maybe I was finally going insane. I had felt like I had lost all sanity long ago, but now I was really beginning to question myself. Was I imagining things?

I paused once again to survey my surroundings, but there was no one. The only sounds I heard was my own breathing and my heartbeat as it rapidly pounded against my chest, as if begging to be free.

And if I wasn't imagining things, then that could only mean one thing. I was indeed being followed, but for what reason? And where were my mysterious stalkers?

I had chosen to cut through the forest leading to my house. I spotted it once I bolted out of Levi's house, and I recognized it instantly. I used to play in it all the time with Mikasa and Armin when we were little kids. I still remembered how mom would get mad at us for staying out after it had already gotten dark, and how she would scold me once we had returned. But no matter how angry she was, mom was always happy to see me.

After running throughout this forest so many times, I nearly had it memorized. I knew where someone could easily hide; after all, I'd lost track of how many times we'd played hide and go seek and of the numerous hiding spots I'd accumulated over the years. As the king of hide and go seek, I knew where someone could hide without being caught for hours.

I searched every place I could think of, but again I didn't see a soul.

 _Calm down,_ I told myself, _you're just imagining things. There is no one here. And besides, what reason would they have for following you? And why would they have followed you for this long? If they wanted to hurt you they would have done so already. No one is crazy enough to follow you for this long._

I took a deep breath and hoped that my reasoning wasn't just reassuring, but that it was actually right. I continued to walk until I saw my house's outline come into view. I could see Dad's truck parked out in front. No doubt he would be expecting me. I was late. _Really_ late. He would get suspicious of where I was.

I decided to slowly crack open the door and peep inside. It was pitch black everywhere. I shut the door silently behind me. The whole house was still, silent. Like no one was here.

Normally he would be sitting on the couch, beer in hand, watching TV, but his chair was empty. As was the rest of the house apparently. I tiptoed into every room of the house to see where he was, but he was nowhere to be found.

I was confused. If his truck was here, then why wasn't he here with it? Trust me, I wasn't complaining, I was happy to have the bastard gone, yet at the same time I could feel a growing sense of dread forming in my stomach. Something didn't feel right.

I tried to ignore my fear and decided to fix me a sandwhich. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I ate anything. My stomach growled at the thought of food.

With my back turned, I wasn't aware of someone peering over my shoulder.

"Welcome back, Eren. I've been waiting for you."

I turned to stare into the eyes of my father just before he hit me over the head with a beer bottle, knocking me to the floor.

Once again I was sinking into the darkness.

* * *

 **I wanted to end this with another cliffhanger like last time, I'm just evil ;)**

 **As of now I'm going to do weekly Friday updates unless something comes up and I'm unable to do so. I know that updates have been kinda randomized so I'm hoping that this will help me get a good routine going on.**

 **As always, please let me know what you think of the story so far!**

 **Thanks again for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello!~ The new chapter is finally here, even if it is a couple of days late.**

 **This chapter is _full_ of dialogue. I didn't even realize that when I was writing it, but when I was proof reading it I thought "Holy crap this is a ton of dialogue!" xD I hope you guys don't mind it too much!**

 **I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors, I try my best to fix everything but I'm not perfect!**

 **As always, enjoy!**

* * *

Eren's POV

I woke up in the kitchen, with my arms tied behind my back. They were tightly bound around the chair by a rope that I never knew my father owned. The back of my head was pounding from where he had hit me, but I didn't let that hold me back.

I was so tired of everything. I was tired of my father treating me like dirt, like I never mattered to him at all. He was always screwing things up for me, but I was tired of just dealing with it. It was time to fight back. Or try to, at least. I knew escaping from the rope wouldn't be easy, but I decided to give it my best shot

I tried to squirm my way out of it, or somehow slip my hands through the binding, but it was no use. "Untie me you bastard!" I shouted. I had no idea where he had gone, but I was almost positive that he was still here. I had a feeling things between me and him were far from being over. "Come on, I know you're here! Don't just ignore me!" I continued to struggle but it resulted in nothing but the chair being knocked over. It hit the floor with a loud crash. _Smooth moves,_ I thought sarcastically. _How is he going to take you seriously?_

"It seems you're in quite the pickle."

My head snapped up to see Dad leaning against the kitchen doorframe, his arms crossed. He was dressed in his usual attire, a tank top and his boxers, but I could sense things were way different. He was too sober. Especially for this time of day.

"I guess I can give you a hand. I mean, after all, I can't have anything bad happen to you." He walked over and quickly picked the chair up, sitting me upright once again.

I stared at him in complete bewilderment. What was he saying? He did bad things to me everyday, without fail, and never once has he cared. So why now, of all times?

"What are you talking about?" I questioned. "Are you stupid or just completely insane? Have you totally just been ignoring what you've been doing to me everyday for the past five years?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, boy?"

"Are you serious? You put me through hell everyday! You've been doing it ever since Mom died, and you know it! Don't try pulling that crap with me!" He slapped me across the face, leaving a stinging sensation on my right cheek.

"Watch your mouth! I've been busting my ass to take care of you. You'd better show some appreciation."

"I'm supposed to show appreciation towards the man who constantly beats me? To the man who is the reason why scars are all over my body? To the man who has me tied up in a chair _right now?_ Hell no!"

He was crazy for thinking that I would show any amount of respect towards him. After all, who could blame me? It wasn't like he deserved the 'Best Dad of the Year' award.

"Carla worked so hard to make sure that you were raised properly, and this is what you do to show for it?" He grabbed a fistful of my hair and leaned so close to me that I could feel his hot breath on my neck. "You're pathetic, kid."

He let go of my hair so that he could walk over to the fridge. He rummaged through the small amount of food that we had just to return with a beer. He leaned on the counter and took a swig before saying, "So when were you planning on telling me about your boyfriend?"

"W-what boyfriend? What are you talking about?"

Dad smirked slightly. "Don't play dumb you little shit. I know where you went yesterday."

I could feel all blood drain from my face. How could he have known about it?

"See, you _do_ know what I'm talking about. The look on your face says it all. How long did you plan to keep it a secret from me?"

"How… How did you know?"

He crossed his arms. "Trust me, Eren. I have eyes everywhere, eyes that see everything." He paused to chuckle. "But guess what's even better? Not only do these eyes watch, but they also tell me what they see. They watch your every move so that I don't have to."

He had people watching me everyday? I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't get a break from him, no matter where I went, or no matter what I did. I thought that I would be able to escape eventually but he was proving that wouldn't be an easy feat.

"Who the heck did you get to watch me?" As if he would ever tell me.

"People that I just happen to know. I have connections everywhere, with many people. But you don't need to concern yourself with the details. They're unimportant anyway."

"But I don't get it. Why do you have to get people to watch me? You make it pretty obvious that you couldn't care less if I live or die, so why is it so important to you?"

Suddenly his mood shifted and he slammed his beer bottle on the counter. "Because I can't fucking lose someone else from my family!" He jawline tightened tremendously as he grit his teeth. "Not after what they did to Carla."

He couldn't lose someone else? What did that mean? But more importantly, what did he mean by 'they'? Mom had died of cancer. What could anyone else have to do with it?

My voice now shook with uncertainty. "Dad...what are you talking about? Who is 'they'?"

"I'm talking about the fucking bastards that took Carla from me! The idiots who felt the need to destroy my life forever, taking the one thing I loved most."

"But she died of cancer! Right? She did, didn't she?" That was what happened. I was sure of it. That was what I had been told so many years ago. Learning otherwise now was unimaginable.

"No. No, she didn't. You were lied to. _I_ lied to you. _Everyone_ lied to you."

I shook my head in disbelief. This couldn't be happening.

"Didn't you find it strange when she died so suddenly? No one with cancer would have died that suddenly without showing signs of weakness beforehand. And even if she had cancer, don't you think I would have known about it? I'm a fucking doctor for Christ's sake."

When he started explaining things, they slowly started to make sense. Of course I was confused when she died all of a sudden, but I had been 10 at the time, so I didn't question when he told me what happened. I didn't think anything of it. All I knew was that my mother was gone and that I would never see her again. The cause of death didn't matter to me.

"And I kept you from going to the funeral, remember? You stayed at Mikasa's house. I kept you from going because I couldn't let you find out the truth. I knew that things would be better this way."

"Things would be better this way? With me believing a lie?" I could feel my blood starting to boil. I was becoming furious. "You criticise me for keeping secrets yet you're just as guilty as I am. How long were _you_ going to keep this from me? And what the hell actually happened to her?" I hadn't wanted to believe it at first, but now that he had begun telling me I found myself believing it, and I just had to know. I had to know everything. If I didn't learn the whole truth now, the thought of not knowing would forever haunt me.

He sighed heavily and slowly shook his head. "No. I shouldn't have said a word about it to begin with. I regret that now."

"Just tell me!" I screeched, causing my throat to protest in pain. My voice would probably be gone tomorrow. "I'm her son! Don't you think that I deserve to know the truth?"

Dad slammed his fist on the counter. "You don't _want_ to know the truth!"

"It's because you think that I can't handle it, right? That's it, isn't it?" I laughed bitterly. "Well let me tell you something, Dad, I'm a hell of alot stronger than you think. If I was gonna crack under all the pain, I would have done so years ago. So just spit it out."

His glared at me coldly. "You really want to know? Fine. I'll tell you. But afterwards, you'll see why I've kept it hidden from you."

My heart was racing with the suspense. I was practically sitting on the edge of my chair. Well, figuratively speaking, since I was still tied to this damn chair.

"Your mother was shot one night while walking home."

I could feel my eyes grow as big as saucers and my jaw drop with shock.

"That's right. Your mother was murdered in cold blood, for no other reason than that the killer felt like it. At least, that's what he said in court, anyway."

I could feel my body trembling. Should I cry or scream? Feel anger or sorrow? I didn't know how to feel, how to respond. Just when I had finally gotten used to feeling one emotion, my body would decide to switch, introducing me to a new wave of feelings.

"And that's why I can't ever let you out of my sight, Eren." He slowly walked over to me and knelt down so that we were face to face with each other. "I _will not_ let this happen again. I will not be robbed of my family once more, because if that happened, there's no telling what I'd do."

* * *

 **So Eren finally learns who has been watching him, and he also learns another secret. What do you guys think will happen next?**

 **Thanks for reading and for all of the favs and follows on this story! It makes me really happy to know that people are enjoying this fanfic so much.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'M FINALLY BACK FROM THE DEAD! After a very long hiatus, the new chapter is up and running! I apologize to everyone who's waited for this, but I've had so much come up this year that took over most of my time and caused me to be unable to write this story. Schoolwork, stress, family issues, you name it. 2016 has not treated me kindly so far. But regardless, I've finally come out of my not-updating-stupor and am back to writing and updating this story regularly.**

 **As always, I apologize for any grammatical errors (trust me, there were a _ton_ , but hopefully they're all gone!)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Mikasa's POV

Eren wasn't at school today. Or yesterday. Or the day before that.

It's strange. I know Eren hates school- he always has and probably always will, but he rarely misses school. Even when he's sick. And after Carla died, he made it a point to always be at school if it was possible, runny nose and all.

So for him to miss this many days truly struck me as odd.

I started to worry. I couldn't help it. If you're friends with Eren Jaeger then it's impossible not to worry about him. He's like a walking trouble magnet. But even if he constantly gets in trouble, I can't help but love him. It's impossible not to love Eren. He's one of those people that's kind of annoying but also extremely lovable.

The bell rang for the next class, which just so happened to be Biology, the one class that I had with Eren. Except he wouldn't be here.

I sighed and made my way through the crowd of people to my locker. The hallway was a swarming mass of laughter, yelling, and body heat. It was enough to make me claustrophobic. I tried to hurry and grab my things. Staying in one place with so many people for longer than necessary was not something I enjoyed.

I've never really been good with people. I have troubling understanding and connecting with people most of the time. I guess it comes with my background. I'm an only child, and when I was little I never made friends. The only true friends I have are Eren and Armin, but they're the only ones I've ever been able to open up to. I don't have to feel nervous or unsure when I'm with them. Even if I say or do the wrong things, I know it'll be okay.

I tried to keep my eyes focused on the pathway to class. I was trying to rush, if it was even possible to rush with the hallway this packed, but stopped short when I heard someone mention Eren's name.

"I'm _so_ glad Jaeger hasn't been here lately." It was Jean. I could tell just from the snobbish voice alone.

I ducked out of the way of some idiot that was busy ramming into people and pressed my back against the nearest wall. I could now see that he was standing by his locker and talking with Connie and Reiner. Typical. I struggled to grasp onto their conversation through the thick hallway noise.

"Yeah, after what happened the other day, I'm pretty sure no one wants to see him," Connie admitted quietly. He rubbed at the back of his neck and looked down at the floor. I could see Jean and Reiner silently nod in agreement. What was he talking about?

"I never knew the kid could actually put up that much of a fight," Reiner said, shaking his head. "God, he's such a nuisance."

I could feel my heartbeat increase considerably. There had been a fight the other day? How had I not known about it! I felt my jaw stiffen as I clenched my free hand into a tight fist.

I broke out into the much-less-crowded hallway and stood behind Jean. Connie had started to say something but upon seeing me he stopped mid sentence to stare at me dumbfounded. Reiner and Jean followed his stare. Jean jumped back, surprised at my unexpected appearance, no doubt, and blushed. God, he's such a creep. It's so obvious he has a crush on me.

"Oh! M-Mikasa, I didn't see you standing there," he paused to laugh nervously and run his fingers through his hair and lean against the lockers, trying to play it cool. "What uh, what brings you here?"

I skipped small talk and got straight to what was bothering me. "What did you do to Eren." It came out as more of a statement than a question. Like a demand rather than a request.

All three of their faces visibly paled. Connie's mouth hung open in shock. I bet they thought I wouldn't find out.

"W-what are you talking about, Mikasa?" Jean stuttered and shifted his weight to his right leg, crossing his arms, avoiding eye contact. "As much as I _want_ to do something to Jaeger, I haven't _actually_ done anything _._ "

"Don't play dumb, Kirschstein. We both know that you're part of the reason why he hasn't been in school recently." I paused to glance at Connie and Reiner. "You're _all_ part of the reason as to why he's been missing."

Connie held up his hands defensively. "L-look, Mikasa, I'm sure this is just a big misunderstanding. You have the wrong idea!"

"No, I'm pretty sure that I have _right_ idea and that you're grasping at straws right now to try and save your asses, but it's not going to work."

"Listen Mikasa, I'm sure you're the only person in this entire school that misses Jaeger, so does it really matter that he's missing?" Jean was sweating nervously. I knew he would crack soon.

I grabbed a fistful of his t-shirt and shoved him against the lockers, earning shocked gasps from both Connie and Reiner. "No more fooling around. I know that there was a fight with you three involved, and I want details. And if you still try to act clueless, then I'll try a different approach to making you talk."

"Okay, okay- I'll talk, just let me go!" Jean shrieked, desperately trying to squirm out of my grasp. I released my hold on his shirt and he fell back against the lockers with a thud. I was surprised no teachers had heard us during all of this, or had questioned why we weren't in class already. The tardy bell had rung minutes ago.

"I'll admit it. There was a fight a few days ago in the locker room. But that's all it was. Nothing else happened." After he finished talking, Jean stared down at his feet. He thought that by avoiding my accusing stare I would just simply brush off the matter, but he was wrong. Way wrong.

I knew there was still something else to it. I could just feel it. And due to Connie and Reiner's constant fidgeting and pained expressions during his explanation, I was sure of it. "You're hiding something from me," I pointed out, placing a hand on my hip. "When I said details, I meant all of them."

Jean snapped his head up and blurted out, "It was Ackerman!"

I furrowed my brows. "Ackerman?"

"Not you, the _other_ Ackerman. Levi Ackerman."

Why would Levi be involved in any of this? He never spoke to anyone, he just sat at the back of class with that moody expression of his. Although I did think he was a little strange, I never thought he would have something against Eren. Regardless, I trusted Jean for once. I didn't think he would lie to me about this, which only meant one thing. I was going to have to confront Levi next.

"That's all I needed to know, thanks." I picked up the remainder of my things and headed towards Biology. "Oh, and Kirschstein?"

"Yes?"

"You might want to improve your acting skills. It's obvious you have a crush on me." As I walked the rest of the way to class, I could hear Connie and Reiner's echoes of laughter and Jean cries of embarrassment.

* * *

 **I want to give a big thank you to everyone who has stuck with me and is still supporting this story. You guys mean a lot!**

 **A new chapter will be up next week~ I promise!**

 **And of course, please don't be shy. Let me know what you think! Feedback is appreciated.**

 **Thanks! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys I'm back with another chapter! This one is in Mikasa's POV again. I had originally intended for chapters 8 and 9 to be combined, but due to how large both parts were I decided to split it up.**

 **I apologize for any grammatical errors.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Mikasa's POV

Biology was an absolute pain. I couldn't stop thinking about the current situation long enough to actually focus on what we were doing. It was just a simple lecture, but my mind was wandering everywhere.

To make matters worse, I was paranoid that Levi was staring at me the whole time. I turned around once to see if my suspicions were correct, but instead he was staring almost longingly at Eren's empty desk.

At the end of class, I quickly gathered my things so I could approach him. Surprisingly enough, I was nervous to talk to him. I didn't know if it was because I was going to talk to a stranger for the first time or if it was because of the situation itself, but regardless I had a feeling that things would get worse.

I took a deep breath and walked over to his desk. He was carefully putting his notebook into his bag, as if one wrong movement would mean the end of the world. I cleared my throat. "We need to talk."

"It's about Eren, isn't it." He said in a quiet voice, still not looking up.

Had he been expecting this? "Y-yes, it's about Eren," I said, nervously. I tucked a thin strand of hair behind my ear and tried to gain my composure. "I have reason to believe that you've done something to him, that you're part of the reason why he's been absent for so long."

At this he turned around to face me. "Is that so?" He arched an eyebrow but otherwise looked calm. Unnaturally calm, almost.

"Yes. I want to hear what you have to say. I need to know, no- I _have_ to know. I'm starting to get worried about him," I admitted, looking down at my feet.

"Well I guess I'll talk, seeing as I have nothing better to do," he said, standing up to sling his backpack over his shoulder. He didn't bother to wait for an answer before he was walking towards the door. "You coming or what, Ackerman?" He called over his shoulder.

"Obviously, I didn't waste my breath talking to you for the last minute for nothing," I retorted, feeling my face grow hot. I didn't appreciate his attitude; actually I didn't appreciate him at all, but I knew that I needed to talk to him. I could tell that talking to this guy would definitely be a pain in the ass, but I just took a deep breath and decided to deal with him for Eren's sake.

* * *

We were now sitting across from each other in the lunchroom. He was absentmindedly staring out the window while I was mentally scrambling for what to say. I couldn't believe I had dragged him into this, demanding answers, and now I didn't even know where to begin. I felt stupid. When I thought back to the incident with Jean, I thought it was possible that he had indeed lied to me, considering how desperate he was for me to let him go. And what would that mean? That I was an idiot for trusting Kirschstein and that Levi would think I'm an asshole. Hell, he probably already does. But I'd just be making things worse.

Just as I was about to call things off and tell him to go, he broke the silence. "So you drag me out here to talk and you choose to say nothing?" He turned his head slightly to give me a bored look.

"Well would you like me to just outright say that I think you did something bad to Eren when you were in that fight the other day?" When he heard this, his jaw dropped in shock. "Yeah, that's right. I know about it. Were you trying to cover up the truth too?"

"Tch, you don't know anything about what actually happened, obviously," he said, crossing his arms. I had clearly caught the bastard off guard, seeing as how aggravation and uncertainty were in place of his normally calm composure.

"Then enlighten me," I prompted, glaring at him coldly. I wasn't letting any information slide.

Levi sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "For your information Ackerman, I was _saving_ Jaeger's ass."

I blinked a couple of times, confused. "You were...saving him?"

"That's what I just said, isn't it?" He said impatiently, letting out a huff of breath. "Trust me, if I wanted to beat him up it wouldn't take much. But that wasn't it."

I rolled my eyes. "Save your ego-boosting for later. Tell me what happened," I demanded flipping the end of my scarf over my shoulder. My scarf...the one Eren had given me so many years ago. He had given it to me as a way to comfort me. It was a little strange, but it touched me. No one other than my family had ever really cared about me, so to see a stranger do something for me out of kindness meant the world to me. Eren had done that for me, a stranger, so many years ago and now I couldn't even look out for him. It made me feel ashamed.

"It happened in the locker room a couple of days ago. I was minding my own business, just trying to pass the time until I could finally get out of that class, when I heard shouting. I decided to check it out, and when I did I saw Kirschstein and his buddies ganging up on Jaeger. It was the only interesting thing happening, so I continued to watch. I ended up getting involved towards the end of the fight when Jaeger was really getting his ass handed to him." He scoffed and shook his head. "Don't ask me why, though. I'm still trying to figure that one out myself. Regardless, after a few good kicks and punches they all hightailed out of there. They've all kept their distance from me since."

So it really _was_ true. Levi had defended Eren. But why? What did Levi had to gain from helping him? "I still don't understand what lead you to help him. You two have never talked, right? I just don't see the point," I said, perplexed.

Levi huffed and fidgeted. "I told you, alright? _I don't know why._ I just _felt_ like doing it. If you need a reason so badly, then just accept the fact that I decided to be generous for once and move on."

His sudden defensiveness was just as confusing as the whole situation, but I decided to ignore it and take his advice and just move on. Trying to establish his motive for helping Eren really wasn't all that important, and it would get me nowhere, not to mention the fact that getting in an argument with him right now probably wasn't the best idea.

I decided to move on to more pressing matters. There was still one other thing that was bothering me. Something that didn't add up when he had explained his side of the story.

"What happened afterwards?" I asked suspiciously. I knew that wasn't the end of his story, I could just tell. I've always been good at telling when someone was lying. And in this case, it was obvious that he too was hiding something from me.

"What do you mean?" His voice had once again became that calm and calculated monotone that he previously had, unlike the nervous and defensive tone I had heard only seconds before.

"After the fight, of course. What else would I be talking about?" Levi diverted his eyes at this, like he didn't want to talk about it. I crossed my arms and stared at him smugly. I had him right where I wanted him. "We both know you're still keeping something a secret. God, what is it with you people? It's like you all have something to hide."

He took in a deep breath. "I took Jaeger back to my place."

"You _what?_ "

"You heard me. I took him back to my place after the fight."

"You kidnapped him you creep!" I said, my voice getting louder. People were starting to look over at our table.

"Shh! People are starting to stare!" He whispered, trying to get me to be quiet. "I'm not some kind of pervert, alright? I didn't want to leave him in the gym, because by that point he was knocked out cold. But since I normally ditch the rest of the day, I couldn't take him to the nurse's office either, because I wouldn't have enough time to sneak out of school if I did that. Taking him home seemed like a reasonable option at the time."

"At the time? What happened that made it not a good option, other than the fact that it's weird and totally creepy?"

"It was when he left. He was in a hurry for something, and he was acting strange. Said something about having to be home for some reason. I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right with the way he was acting. It was like he was...scared. But scared of what, I don't really know."

Eren wasn't the type of person that scared easily, or the type of person to let silly fears bother him. He was too proud for that. So why would he have been so jumpy about something? There was only one thing, no- one _person_ that Eren was actually scared of, and that was Grisha, but what did he have to do with this?

As I poured over it more, I could feel all color drain from my face when I realized that his dad had to be at the root of this situation, and until then the possibility had never come to my mind, no matter how seemingly obvious it was. It was right there in front of me but I was too dumb to realize it until now, and at this point it could very well be too late.

"What is it, Ackerman? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I-I'm pretty sure I know what he was scared of, and if I'm right, then things could be bad. Very bad."

This grabbed his attention immediately, causing him to lean in closer in suspense. "What are you driving at?"

"It's his dad, Grisha. It's always been his dad. He's the reason why his life is a living hell. Why couldn't I see this before now!" I put a hand to my forehead and tried to stay calm. The thought of it all was making me sick.

"I don't understand. What does Jaeger's dad have to do with this?"

"He has _everything_ to do with this! His dad's been treating him like shit ever since his mom died. Beating him, calling him names, even going so far as to temporarily kick him out of the house at times. Eren thinks that Armin and I are clueless as to the way his dad treats him, but we know. We've always known. But we've never done anything about it." _We've always been too much of a coward to do anything. Too much of a coward to help the one person who's helped save us both countless times in the past._

I watched as shock spread across Levi's features as he realized what this all amounted to. "His dad was what he was so afraid that day. That was why he had to hurry and get home when he did."

"Who knows what happened when he got home that day? Grisha must have been pissed. You don't think… What if...what if he's d-dead?" My voice shook nervously, and I bit my lip to keep it from trembling. "No…no, this can't be happening." My hands started shaking and I could feel my breath hitch in my throat. I couldn't lose him. Not now, not ever. If I lost Eren, I didn't know what I would do. If he disappeared from my life, what would be the point of it all?

Levi slammed a fist on the table. "Get a hold of yourself! We can't say for certain what happened to him, but thinking of the worst case scenarios and crying about it isn't going to accomplish anything." He stood up and slung his bag across his shoulder.

"W-where are you going?"

"I'm going to find Jaeger," he mumbled, more to himself than to me.

I wanted to say more, to thank him for talking to me, to question why he was helping me, to ask him why even _cared._ But all I could do was watch silently as walked out of the lunchroom with cold, clear determination written on his face.

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 **I'll be posting the next chapter on Friday, and this time it will be in Levi's POV.**

 **Thanks for reading and as always, please don't be afraid to let me know what you think!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! I can't believe this is the 10th chapter! This is the longest fanfiction I've written, and I'm so happy with how it's turning out. But more than anything I'm so glad to see how many people actually like this story. You guys are the reason why I've continued to write this story- thanks for all of the support!**

 **I apologize for any grammatical errors.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Levi's POV

The whole way there, I was questioning why the hell I even bothered. Why I decided to give a damn about the brat. Why I decided to get mixed up in this whole mess. And the only answer I could ever come up with was that I just felt like I should _._

It wasn't because I was nosy and decided to get into other people's business, because if I wanted to do that all I had to do was listen in on all of the gossiping teenagers at the goddamn high school. It wasn't because I was bored, which is the God's honest truth. Life is boring as hell.

It was because I like the brat. For some reason, he had to be the one I developed feelings for. He was the one that I couldn't keep my eyes off of, he was the one that was in my thoughts at night, adding to the list of things that keep me an insomniac.

Don't ask me why I fell in love with Jaeger. I ask myself the question, " _Why the hell did I fall in love with Eren fucking Jaeger?"_ , but it remains unanswered every time. I'm just drawn to him, almost naturally it seems. He's the one person that I actually want to see. Everyone else is either dull or just too fucking annoying to tolerate.

And because of my inevitable feelings for him, I'm running towards his house as fast as I can, hoping that Ackerman was just jumping to conclusions and that nothing happened to him. I know that it's probably wishful thinking, but I hope nonetheless.

I'll admit that the reason why I know where he lives is borderline creepy and that if anyone found out they would probably think I'm some kind of pervert, which would actually make Ackerman's claims at lunch true.

The day that he left my house in such a hurry, I decided to follow him. I didn't do it to stalk him, I did it because I was worried that he was expecting someone else to attack him, due to the number of people at school who bully him everyday. I guess you could say I was trying to protect him, but I don't know that anyone would actually believe me. Hell, I probably wouldn't believe me, either.

Regardless, nothing happened on the way to his house. Jaeger did get suspicious a couple of times and would stop and look around to see if he was being followed, but he never found me. When he got home, everything was quiet and still, and I assumed that everything was fine, so I went back home.

I suppose that proves the saying, 'you never know what happens behind closed doors'. I never once suspected that anything was going on at home, but now that I think about it it makes a lot of other things that I always just dismissed as strange fall into place.

His skittish behavior, the fact that he wears long sleeved shirts and hoodies everyday of the year, even in summer, the fact that he always keeps to himself. It's all because of his dad. Because he's afraid he'll get hurt, because he has scars lingering all over his body, because he's afraid to trust people and to let anyone into his life.

It makes my blood boil to think that someone has been causing him to live life like this, especially his own dad. To make him suffer daily, as if what he went through at school wasn't bad enough. That's why I decided to get involved with the fight the other day. I didn't want to admit that much to Ackerman, but watching him get beat up pissed me off to the point where I couldn't handle it anymore and had to do something. After all, why watch instead of taking action?

I had become so engrossed in my own thoughts that I didn't even realize how close I actually was to his house. I was only a few feet away. I jogged over to the driveway and tried to approach the house as quietly as I could. Just like last time, there were no cars around, but that didn't mean anything. His dad was crazy, which meant that he could still be inside the house somewhere, doing God knows what to him. _If he's still alive,_ a tiny voice said in my head.

I mentally slapped myself and tried to think somewhat optimistic. I couldn't just assume the worst. There was hope. There _had_ to be hope. Because if all hope was lost, then what was left?

I tiptoed up the driveway and paused in front of the door. I put my ear against the door and strained to hear what was going on inside. I was greeted with nothing but utter silence. That was a good sign, right? It had to be. I took a chance and decided to turn the doorknob. I knew it was probably locked, I mean even though his dad was crazy, he couldn't be a complete idiot. But surprisingly enough, it was unlocked to anyone who wanted to enter, and I slowly crept inside, being sure to shut the door behind me.

My eyes had to adjust to the dark lighting; what little lighting the house had came from the windows. I looked around cautiously. Beer bottles and pizza boxes were strewn carelessly across the floor, and the air smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. It was disgusting. I didn't want to waste time in the filthiness of the house, but I knew I had no other choice if I wanted to find him.

I continued to slowly walk through the house, listening to every sound I heard. I peered around the corner to the kitchen, and saw something in the middle of the floor. I could only distinguish the silhouette of a chair in the dark lighting, so I inched closer, curious as to what I would find. Upon closer inspection, I nearly gasped in shock. It was Jaeger!

I fell to my knees beside him and started to shake him. He was tied to a chair and was lying down on his side. The chair must have toppled over at some point when he tried to escape. "Jaeger, Jaeger you have to wake up! Come on, look at me!" I shook him again, but he didn't respond. I pressed two fingers under his chin to check for a pulse. It was light, but it was still there nonetheless.

I knew that I needed to untie him so I could get him the hell out. I frantically opened and closed drawers, searching for a knife. When I finally found one, I used it to cut the ropes. It took longer than expected, but eventually his hands were free. Even in the lowlight of the kitchen I could see bruises from where he had struggled against the ropes. I swallowed hard and tried to ignore it. I couldn't let emotions get in the way- not here, not now. I had to get him out of here. If he wasn't dead yet, he very well could be if Grisha found us now.

I picked him up bridal style and made a run for the door. I hadn't expected him to be heavy, but he was too light. Who knew how long it had been since he last had something to eat.

Just as I was about to open the door, it was opened for me. I suspected the worst, but it was only Ackerman. Her face was pale as sheet and her eyes were rimmed with red, as if she had been crying for quite some time. She looked just as surprised as I felt.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She whispered loudly, suspiciously eyeing the inside of the house as if Grisha might jump out at any minute.

"I told you I would find him, didn't I?" I said, briefly looking down at him. When she finally took notice of him, her eyes lit up and her whole demeanor changed.

"Eren! Oh my god, I was so worried-"

"Quiet down, will you?" I said, cutting her off. "We need to get away from here. _Now._ "

She nodded and stepped aside, making room for me to step out on the front lawn. "The question is, what do we do with him now?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She pursed her lips. I knew she probably hadn't thought it over much. "Well, we could always keep him at my place. He should be safe there."

I shook my head. "Think about it. Once Grisha learns that the brat's missing, what do you think he's going to do?" When she just stared at me in silence, completely baffled, I sighed and continued with my theory. "He's going to look for him, that's what. And where do you think he'll most likely look first?"

Realization bloomed across her features. "He'll come to my place…"

"That's right. He'll know that you won't lie to him about Jaeger's whereabouts, and just imagine what would happen if he found him. You both would be in serious danger."

"You do have a point," she said thoughtfully, absentmindedly wringing her scarf as she poured over the theory. "Where do _you_ suppose we hide him, then?" She asked, eyeing me anxiously.

I knew she wasn't going to be highly supportive of my alternative plan, but at this point it was one of the best options we had at the moment. "He can stay with me. I don't know how long he'll need to stay there, but as of right now that seems like the best decision we can make."

She furiously shook her head. "No! That can't be a good idea! I mean, why should we-"

"Because he doesn't know me," I said, once again interrupting her. I knew she wouldn't be all ears for it, but she had to hear me out. I was going to have to reason with her. "Think about it. He doesn't know me at all, so why would he suspect him of hiding out at my house?" Her brows were knitted together and she was chewing on her bottom lip. I could tell that she was beginning to cave in to the idea. "It's one of the safest places for him to stay."

She grumbled slightly before mumbling, "Okay," under her breath. "We'll keep him at your place for a few days until we can think of something else. Got it?"

"Okay, okay, Ms. Protective. We've got a deal."

She looked sternly at me once more before looking over Jaeger with a concerned expression. I could see tears brimming in her eyes and her lip began to tremble. I cleared my throat to grab her attention before she could burst into tears. She picked up on my intentions and nodded once before ruffling up his hair with her hand. "Just keep him safe," she said softly, tearing her eyes away from him to look up at me.

"I will," I reassured her. _I'll try to, at least._ I turned then and starting running towards my house, silently praying that I could keep my word.

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 **Once again, thank you guys for all of the kind reviews, favorites, and follows. It means a lot to me!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! I'm so glad I was able to post this chapter (at first I thought it wouldn't get posted today!). I'm still shocked at how far this story has come. I love writing it and I'm really glad that so many people like it!**

 **I apologize for any grammatical errors.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Levi's POV

Carrying the brat back to my place was no big deal- after all, the kid seemed to weigh less than a feather, but not worrying over what could go wrong? That was a different story entirely. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was making the wrong decision, that by bringing him here I would only be placing him in more danger. But I had proven that to be false when I was rationalizing with Ackerman, right? Jaeger's dad doesn't know me at all, so he shouldn't suspect anything. Regardless of what could or couldn't happen, I tried to push thinking about all of the negative possibilities aside and focus on taking care of Jaeger, because as of right now he was in pretty bad shape.

His normally tan complexion was now white as a ghost, and dark circles were visible underneath his eyes. He was so thin that I could see his ribs poking through his torn and dirtied shirt. When I inspected his wrists, I could see marks from the rope that had been used to tie him up, and bruises trailed up his arms.

I was shocked. I was infuriated. How could someone manage to do so much damage to someone in such a short amount of time? And above all, how could they manage to do it to someone that was their family? To someone who was their son?

I shook my head in disgust. People are truly awful creatures. We're brutal, selfish creatures that only exist to provide for ourselves. Sure, some may say that's just nature, that we were always meant to be this way, but I think that we choose to be this way. Humans are intelligent beings and have the ability to choose how they want to act in life, what they want their role to be. And yet we end up becoming the true monsters that people always talk about in fairytales.

It was a monster that did this to him. A monster with no regard for others, a monster who uses others at his disposal just for his own enjoyment. And now he was being taken care of by me, another monster.

I'm a monster just like everyone else. I'm nothing more than a lowly criminal who was lucky and clever enough to not get caught, but that doesn't change anything. I've done things that others would look down upon, that people would condemn me for. I began to wonder how the brat would react once he found out what I've done in the past. Would he be disgusted and hate me for what I've done?

Quit thinking like this. Now isn't the time for it, I scolded myself. Save your pity for later. He needs you. I had to snap myself out of it, there were more important things to do. I could spend plenty of time wallowing in self pity later, but for now I needed to put Jaeger first.

I set him down on the couch and went to get the first-aid kit from the bathroom. I began to clean the few cuts he had. There weren't many, but the few cuts that he did have appeared to be infected. He never stirred, even though it must have stung. Oh God don't tell me he's dead, I thought suddenly. I checked to see if he was breathing and sure enough I saw the slow rise and fall of his chest. Although his breathing was slightly labored, I sighed with relief to hear it nonetheless.

There wasn't much else that could be treated with the first-aid kit so I set it aside and sat there, thinking of what I should do next. But then I heard his stomach let out the loudest growl I have ever heard from a human being, which reminded me that he needed food. After all, who knew when he last had a proper meal.

I started walking towards the kitchen but stopped dead in my tracks when I heard a small voice say, "Levi?"

My blood ran cold. He was finally awake. But what was I supposed to say? 'Oh yeah hey so I rescued you from your bastard of a father and just decided to drop you off here, hope you're okay with that'? There wasn't any possible way to explain why I saved him without it being painfully awkward.

"Levi, what's going on? How did I get here?" I watched as he slowly tried to prop himself up, only to wince in pain and lie back down.

I sighed and walked back over to the couch. "Just take it easy, alright? I'll explain everything later. But for now you just need to rest."

"I-I'm fine, Levi. I don't really know what I'm doing here, but you don't have to do this. I can take care of myself." He looked up at me nervously with his emerald eyes, and it took everything in me to not freak out. Fuck he's hot, even if he is skin and bones, I thought.

"You couldn't even sit up on your own, so you obviously need someone. And after everything that's happened, I'd say you definitely need my help."

His eyes lit up with sudden alarm. "Y-you know about what happened?"

I closed my eyes and nodded solemnly. "Yes, I do. But we'll talk about that later. Now's not the time to-"

"Oh God, this is bad, really bad!" He interrupted me with his sudden outburst of panic. He abruptly sat up on the couch and started rocking back and forth, ignoring the pain it must have caused him.

"Woah, woah- slow down! I said take it easy!" I grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look at me. "Of course I know about what's happened. But that doesn't change anything. I'm still going to stick with you and help you."

He shook his head. "You don't understand. My dad-"

"I understand that your dad is an asshole and that I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you because of him."

"But you're in danger because of him, don't you get it?" His voice shook as tears rolled down his cheeks. "You're putting yourself at risk, and it's pointless."

"Listen Jaeger. I knew very well what I was getting myself into, and I knew what could happen as a result. But I still did it. I took those risks because I care, regardless of the possible consequences. And if those consequences should arise, then so be it. I'll deal with them when that time comes. But for now, just try to stay optimistic, all right?" He silently nodded, although he continued to cry. "And stop crying for Christ's sake." I reached out and brushed away his tears.

Just as he was about to say something, his stomach let out another long growl, causing him to blush.

"When was the last time you ate a proper meal?" I asked, knowing good and well it had to have been more than a couple of days.

"I...don't remember, actually," he admitted, looking away ashamed. "A couple of days, maybe?" My suspicions were correct.

"That settles it then," I said, standing up. "I'm making us some food."

"You don't have to, you know. I'll be fine-"

I silenced him with a look of disapproval. "I saved you from potential death at the hands of that bastard, so I can't really have you dying of starvation now."

This earned a smile from the brat. "Fair enough."

"I hope you're in the mood for pasta, because I've been craving Italian food," I said, walking into the kitchen to make something that would hopefully satisfy us both.

Things hadn't been as awkward as I had expected, but I knew that things were just beginning. I had a feeling that from here on out it would be a rocky road, but I was prepared for whatever lay ahead. Grisha be damned, I had already sworn to myself that I was going to protect the shitty brat, no matter the cost.

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 **I don't know why but I just love the idea of Levi getting all flustered around Eren haha I swear this ship is just too damn cute.**

 **Thanks for reading and for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows. I really appreciate it!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! I'm so excited for this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing this one, and I hope you guys like it as much as I do. These two dorks are seriously too adorable to handle~ I had to update it a day earlier due to something that came up, but it's here regardless.**

 **I apologize for any grammatical errors on my part, I tried to catch them all before I posted this chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Eren's POV

Surprisingly enough, Levi was a really good cook. I ended up helping myself to seconds, due in large part to the fact that it had been days since I had last eaten. Levi had asked me when I last ate and I lied and said I couldn't remember. I didn't need to give him any more reason to worry over me.

"You ate more than I expected," he said, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Sorry. It was just too good to pass up," I admitted aloud, leaning back to rest in the chair. The food was making me tired.

"At least your color is starting to return," he observed as he cleaned up the table. "You were looking like a ghost earlier."

"I did?" I asked, surprised. I didn't know I was that bad off. I guess I must have looked as bad as I felt.

"Yeah, it was pretty freaky, I'm not gonna lie," he said, sounding concerned. When he had finished putting up the dishes from dinner, he came back to the table.

It was silent then. We both looked at nothing in particular, just avoided eye contact. That was where the awkwardness began to set in. I knew it would be inevitable at some point. Seeing as I didn't know how to strike an interesting conversation up, I decided to reflect on things up to this point.

Levi had saved me, yet again. First it was from the bullies in the locker room, and now it was from my own father. I wondered if this would become a common occurrence. _Don't get your hopes up,_ I scolded myself. _He can't be your savior all the damn time. You can't get dependent on him, he won't be here forever._

I still thought that it was a damn miracle that he was even helping me at all. I didn't understand why he was doing all of this, and supposedly he didn't either. I knew that was probably a lie. I mean, why waste all that time and effort for something with no point to it?

Regardless of his reasoning behind his actions, he had put himself in possible danger to help me. And he ended up allowing himself to get mixed up in my problems. My problems should have stayed hidden, they should have been my problems and my problems only, but now they could possibly become his problems as well. Once my father learned about what had happened and who was involved, there was no doubt in my mind that he would target Levi.

"Are you alright?" He asked, dragging me out of my thoughts. His silvery eyes held worry.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I looked down at my hands fidgeting nervously in my lap. _You liar. You're far from fine._

"You don't have to lie to me, Jaeger," he said. It was like he was reading my mind, like he knew I was hiding my hurt.

"And so what if I am?" I asked bitterly, clenching my hands. I could feel my fingernails digging into my skin. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me. I thought that much would have been obvious by now." He scoffed and laughed dryly. "My God, what more do I have to do to prove it to you that I care? That I'm someone that you can trust?"

I looked up to see his face twisted into a grimace of hurt and anger. "I don't understand you at all! You were practically a stranger to me until a couple of days ago, and now you want me to _trust_ you? What the hell are you playing at?" I slammed my hands on the table and stood up, knocking my chair over. "Is this some kind of sick joke? Are you trying to make a mockery of me, just like everyone else? Why should you even care at all." My voice died down when I realized that he really _didn't_ have any reason to care. This was just some twisted game that he had created, that he was playing out. And I was his pawn, just as I was to everyone else.

My head dropped down in shame and I slowly walked out of the kitchen. I was going to leave. I wasn't go to let this go on any further. I didn't need to get false hopes that he actually cared, because as confused as I was, I _wanted_ him to care. I _wanted_ to be with him, more than I let on. More than I let myself admit. He was different from anyone I had ever known. He was strong, he looked his problems and faced them, rather than running away from them. He was absolutely gorgeous, for Christ's sake, you would have to be a blind fool to not recognize that. And most of all, he seemed like he truly _could_ care. When he said he cared, it almost seemed true, he said it so perfectly, so flawlessly. Truthfulness seemed to radiate off him, and yet I still couldn't believe him. I still couldn't place my trust in him for fear of getting hurt again.

I felt a hand clamp down firmly on my shoulder and spin me around. His face was flushed with anger. "After everything, how can you still refuse to believe me?"

I had to tear my eyes away from his stare, I couldn't look him in the eyes. "I'm sorry. But I can't."

Levi gripped my face and tilted my head up so that I had to look him in the eyes. "You want to know why I care so much? You want to know why I _really_ give a damn? It's because I love you, you idiot!" Before I could my mind could even wrap itself around what he'd just said, his lips were crashing down onto mine.

Rather than break away from the kiss, I leaned into it and kissed him back wholeheartedly. I found my hands trailing up to his hair, felt as my fingers weaved through his raven locks. He smelled like mint, and it was tantalizing. I kissed back harder, with more force. It was like a fire had lit up around us, and that we were in the center of its heat. It was invigorating, it was electrifying. It was everything you read about kisses being, and it was amazing.

When our lips finally parted, we both were panting and were at a loss. Finally, Levi chuckled. "Do you believe me now, you brat?"

I blinked a couple of times and struggled to find words. "Yeah. _Yeah._ " I couldn't think of anything else to say. I was still trying to decide if the last couple of minutes were reality or something from a crazy dream of mine.

"Good," he said, smirking. "That makes things a lot easier," he said, stepping forward to kiss me again.

I decided that even if it was something from a wild dream, I didn't want it to end anytime soon.

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 **Once again, thanks for reading and all of the support you guys have been showing for this fanfic. It encourages me to continue writing this and it makes me really happy. Feedback is always read and greatly appreciated, and I will try my best to respond to reviews sooner (I kinda got sidetracked and let them all pile up in my inbox, sorry about that guys!)**


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